Spool and method of manufacturing the same



May 15, 1934. D. a. BAKER SPOOL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING 'THE SAME Filed Dec. 10, 1932 r CM 3 mun Mm o 0 M A 5% N I M Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THE SAM

Dickerson G. Baker, Holyoke, Mass, assignor to The American Thread Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 10, 1932, Serial No. 646,572

4 Claims.

The present invention comprises a novel spool for thread and a method of manufacturing the same.

The wooden spools for thread, now practically exclusively used, are relatively costly articles because requiring turning on wood working machinery and also because relatively large numbers of finished spools are discarded as unsuitable for use due to flaws either inherent in the particular wood used or caused by mistreatment at one or another stage of the manufacture. The present invention provides a spool constructed of relatively cheap material which is suitable for use in place of the more costly wooden spool and which has substantial strength while being considerably lighter in weight than a wooden spool and hence cheaper to ship. The invention provides also a method of manufacturing the new spool which is simple and economical.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing of which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a spool embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the spool of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the various elements of the spool of Fig. 1 before assembly illustrative of the method of constructing the spool;

Fig. 3a is a fragmentary view illustrating one manner of cementing the parts; and

Fi 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of spool.

The new spool as shown by the drawing comprises a hollow cylindrical core or barrel 1 of cardboard or the like, a pair of centrally apertured end pieces 2-2 and reinforcing annular disks 3-3 positioned between the core and the end pieces.

The core 1 is a tube of cardboard or the like material with its ends either flared, as indicated at 4 in Figs. 2 and 3, or turned radially outward as indicated at 6 in the modification illustrated in Fig. 4. Each end piece 2 is a centrally apertured disk which, before assembly of the parts into a spool, has its periphery turned to form a short cylindrical portion 7 (see Fig. 3) of an internal diameter at least as great as the external diameter of the extremities of the core 1 and equal to the diameter of the reinforcing disks 3-3. In

constructing a spool the disks 3-3 are first in- 5 with the ends of the core. The cylindrical portions '7 of the end pieces are then pressed inwardly so as to bring them in contact with the outer surface of the enlarged ends of the core to which surface they are cemented by means of any suitable paste or glue.

The cementing of the end pieces to the core may be effected in any one of various ways. For example, disks 3-3 before assembly may be impregnated with a liquid resin, such as a solution of bakelite, which, if heat and pressure are applied when the portions 7 are pressed inwardly against the enlarged portions of the core, will exude around the enlarged ends of the core and solidify to bind the parts securely together. Alternatively, as indicated in Fig. 3a, a paper lining 10 saturated with a liquid resin may be provided for each end portion 2 so as to secure the parts together upon the solidification of the resin under heat and pressure, or the internal surface of end pieces 2 may be similarly treated with a liquid 75 resin.

The cylindrical portions 7, after the spool is constructed, form, in the case of the spool illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the flared or tapered ends of the spool necessary when thread is to be straight or Booth wound thereon. In the case of the spool indicated in Fig. 4, the portions 7 form the straight end wall portions of the spool suitable when the thread is cross or universal wound.

In the resulting spool the reinforcing disks 3-3 which are preferably of a thickness somewhat greater than that of end pieces 2 provide substantial resistance to deformation and provide also a firm foundation about which the cylindrical portions are turned or spun after assembly. To obtain the full benefits of the invention each of the elements from which the spool is constructed are of cardboard or the like relatively inexpensive and light weight material. Use of such 95 material is not essential, however, as obviously, at only slightly additional cost, metal or molded material could be used for the disk 3-3 and metal or other flexible material could be used for end pieces 2-2 in which case the pasting of the 100 cylindrical portions of the end pieces to the enlarged ends of the core would not be required.

The preferred embodiment of the invention together with the method of constructing the same have now been described. Obviously vari- 105 ous changes could be made both in the method and in the resulting product without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The following is claimed:

1. The method of constructing a spool which 110 includes turning outwardly the ends of a tube of cardboard, turning the edge'of' each of a pair of disks to form cylindrical portions with an internal diameter at least as large as the external diameter of the turned end of the tube, then inserting the ends of the tube in the so formed cylindrical portions of said disks and spinning the cylindrical portions to bring them into contact with the external surfaces of the outwardly turned ends of the core.

2. The method according to claim 1 including inserting between each diskand an end of the tube an element impregnated with liquid resin and applying heat and pressure to the disks after assembly to cause the parts to be cemented together by the solidification of the resin.

3. The method of constructing a spool which comprises flaring the ends of a tube of card- 7 board or the like, turning the edges of a pair of disks to form cylindrical portions of an internal diameter at least as large as the largest external diameter of the flared portions of the tube and then passing each so formed cylindrical portion over a reinforcing disk and over an end of the tube and turning inwardly so muchfof said cylindrical portions as overlap the flared ends of "said tube so as to engage the outer surface resin before assembly and applying heat and pressurein turning inwardly the cylindrical portions of the first mentioned disks to cause resin exuded from the reinforcing disks to cement the solidification.

parts together upon DICKERSON G. BAKER. 

